Recording mechanism for railway-traffic-controlling apparatus.



F. H. NICHOLSON. RECORDING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING MPAIIATUS.

APPLICATION FILED M1611 I914- Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

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WITNESSES INVENTOH UNITED srmrrns PATENT OFFICE,

FRANK H. NICHOLSON, OF M'ILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, BENNSYLYANIA A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19,1913.

Application filed August 27, 1914. Serial No 858,957. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK H. NICHOLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vilkinsburg. .in the county of Allegheny and State otPennsylvania. have invented.

certain new and useful Improvements in Recording Mechanism for Railway-Trafiicing is a specification.

My invention relates torecording mechanism for railway tratiic controlling apparatus. More particularly, it relates to mechanism for recording the progress and speed of trains along a railway, and to mechanism for recording signal operation. \Vhen the two parts of my invention are employed in conjunction, the record thus secured gives a complete graphic account of train movements 7 and of observance of signal indications by train engineers;

I will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing one form of recording apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a viewv showin a portion of tape with the record made tiie apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, R, R designate the track rails of a railway over whichtrailic normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. 'The portion of the railway here Controlling Apparatus, of which the followshown is divided into, two successive block sections A-B' and B- C through which traffic is'governed by"isi gnals S and S, re spectively. Each block'section is provided with a track circuit comprising as usual the track rails of the section. a source of current 10 connected with-the rails adjacent one end of the section, and a track relay T connected with the rails adjacent the other end (if-the section. ,Each track relay controls the signal for the corresponding section by the following circuitfrom battery 40, through contact 41 of the track relay, wire 42, mecha' nism of the signal, wire 43. to battery 40.. It

' is obvious that in accordance withthe usual practice each signal will. indicate .proceed or stop according as the corresponding track relay is energized 'or denergized, that .of .the operations of si reon by the is, according to whether the section is free or occupied. Y t

In order to obtain a record of train move-' ments through the block section A-B andl S, I provide'a tape 9, which may be '0 paper or other-sultable material, and which passesover drums 17,v 17. This tape is unwound from a roll 20 onto a drum 28 by means of-suitable'clock-' wo'rk mechanism operating the latter drum. As here shown, this mechanism comprises a weight 18 attached to a cord 18' which passes over a pulley 21 fixed to drum 28, and an escapement device including a trainof gears 19 connected with the drum and sin-escapement pendulum 19. It is understood. however, that the mechanism hereshown for opcra'tingthe drum 28 is merely diagrammatic.

- The tape 9 is preferably provided with time divisions 9" corresponding to therate at whichthe.-tape is' moved by the clockworkmechanism. I v I In order to secure a record of the, progress and speed of trains. through block section AB,' I' providea recording device 11, which receives current from the connection between .the source 10 and the track rails of block section AB. 'As here shown.- this recording device comprises a solenoid 11,

thewinding of which is connected between battery'lo and track rail Bgand in which solenoid is a longitudinally movable plunger 12. Pivotallv connected tothe and of this plunger is a link'22, to which is rigidly attached a. stylus 13, which-may for example be a pencil, which penc l isadapted to trace a record on tape 9. The solenoidll and plunger 12 nrefso disposed that the pencil 13 is moved transversely across he tape 9 by-D O the-longitudinal movements'of the plunger. The plunger" 12'and pencil 13 are drawn toward a fixed stop 24 bv'a spring 24-.and are drawn. awavfrom this stop against'the action of the spring24 to agreatenor less distance depending upon the amount of cut;-

rent in the solenoid 111.- The parts of the recording device 11 are so adjusted that when the block'section A- B is'unoccupied, that is, when'the' current infsolenoid llf is mini,-

'mum, the plunger 12- rests against its stop 24', due to the actionof -the spring 24.

In order to record the operations of signal S I provide a recording device 3, comprising a magnet 3, which is adapted wh en energizer], to attract an armature 5 fixed to a lever 7 which is pivotal'ly mounted at point 6. The lever 7 carries at one end a stylus 8, which may for example be a pencil, adapted to trace a record on the tapet). A spring 23 acts upon the lever 27 to raise the pencil 8 from the tape when magnet 3 is deenergized, but when the magnet is energized, the action of the spring is overcome and pencil 8 is moved into contact with tape 9. The magnet 3* is controlled b a contact '3 opcrativcly connected with signal S, the circuit of this magnet being from batter'yd througlrlnagnct 3*, contact 2 to battery 4.

As here shown; contact 2 is closed avheirsig nal S indicates stop and is open when this signal indicates proceed, so that the pencil 8 draws a line on-tape 9 only when the signal cient to draw. the plunger 12 away from the indicates stop.

The. pencils 8 and 13 are preferably so located that the records made thereby on the site each other. The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

When block section A- B isunoccupied, the track circuit for that'section inclludes' tape at any given instant are directly oppo- --t.he internal--resistance*of battery 10, the resistance of solenoid 11, the resistance of relay T, the resistance",of thetrack "rails, the resistance of the connections, andthe leakage resistance between the track rails; and as hercinbefore stated, .the current whiclithen flows in solenoidllf. is not suflistop 24". When,. however, a train moving in the direction of the arrow enters block section AB, the wheels and axles thereof shunt out the resistance of track relayT, thereby decreasing the. total resistance in the" track circuit so that-the. current-which flows in solenoid 11 is increased; this increased current is suliicient to' draw. the pencil-13 a. short distance away fromlthe stop 24". Then as the train proceeds through the blocklit shunts out' more and more-of the track rail resistance, thereby progressively increasing thefcurrent in solenoidfil so that the pencil '13 is progressively. drawn farther across the tape; As-the 'trainentcrs block section B-C, it causes-signal S to a change to stop position, thereby closing contact aviththe-tape and remains there as long as's'ignai S remains in stop position. It, will be seen,'therefore that a straight line is traced on the tape 9 as-long as. signal S indicates stop.

In the drawing the apparatus is shownin the positions corresponding toa train in section r a Referring now to Fig. 2, the portion of Lamaze may be explained as follows: At 11 A. M.

-four seconds after 11 A. M. a train W seconds the train bridged the rail insulamore. gradual slope. of portion a of-"the the tape here shown bearsa record which the plunger 12 was against-its stop 24, so that pencil 13 was drawing a longitudinal line a, indicating that block section A B was unoccupied; and there was no. line traced by pencil 8, thus indicating that signal S was in the proceed position. About entered block section A-B, as indicated by the transverse line a drawn by pencil 13 across the paper. As the train. proceeded through the stretch the current in the solenoid-ll increased progressively so that the pencil 13 traced'the curve a". At about 22 seconds after 11, the-train entered block section B"-(.',- so that signal S changed to stop indication as indicated by the line b drawn by pencil 8, and for the following 4.

tions 1 between the two block sections, -so that the current in solenoid 11 remain constant, as indicated by the longitudinalv portion a of the curve traced by pencil 13'. As the rear endof the train. left block section AB, the current in solenoid -11" dropped abruptly to its initial value, as indicated by the transverse portion a of curve A. Abut 40 seconds after-111, the train passed out-of block section B,C, so that signal .S then changed to proceed position, as indicatedby the cessation of the longitudinalflinc'btracd by pencil 8. Then about 50 seconds after IL-anothcr train entered bloclr section AfB-'and proceeded through the section-at a lower speed than the preceding train, as indicated by the curve traced by pencil 13. At about 16 seconds. after 11=01,.this train entered bloclc section B,C,' and signal S then changed to stop position.- At about 44 seconds after 11.01, and. while the last-mentioned train was still in-block' section B-Gfn ,following train entered blocksection A- -B-. as indi- 'cated by portion a of curve A. The third train proceeded. 'th much.- theblock' section iuntil about 11.02 A. M, when it came too.

stop in the rearof signal S and remained standing, as indicatedby the longitudinal line afi'untilsignal 'S- changed to {proceed position. Then at, about 5- seconds after 11.02 the third'train' started asindiated' a by cur-,vc-s'ection a",- and entered block sec-f F tion E C about 3 seconds-later. tact-2 so that-pencil-8"is brought. into con! It'will be noted' that the portions a, a etc. of flu; l ne traced by-pencil 13 are not i straight. The curvature of these portions of the line does not indicate that the speed of the... trains. increased while passing through they section-A 13, but is .due to the fact that as a train approaches the exit end of the sectionthe lea'lrage current. normally supplied to the rails of the section approaches zero and th curve traced by pencil 13 tends to follow more closely the straight line determined by the constant rate of decrease in resistance of the rails R and i It. If there were no leakage between rails, the portions a a of the line traced by pencil 13 would be straight; provided of course the speed of the trains were constant.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by means of mechanism embodying my invention the progress and speed of trains along the track may be indicated by a graphic record, and that simultaneously a graphic record of the operation of the signals may be secured. A glance'at this record will show Whether or not any train has passed a signal indicating stop.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the 'ap-' 2. In combination, a block section of a rail-'- way track, a source of. current connectedwith therails adjacent one end of the section and a relay connected with the rails ad-'- jacent the other end, a signal controlled by said relay, and a recording device responsive to variations of current and receiving current from the connection between said source and the rails for making a continuous record indicative of the speed and progress of trains through the section.

In combination, a section of railwaytrack, a source of current coifnected with the rails of said section, and a recording device responsive to variations of current and receiving current from the connection between said source and the rails for making a continuous record of the positions of a train in the section.

4. In combination, a section of railway track, a source of current connectedwith the railsof said section, a record .tape, means for moving said tape, an electromagnetic de- .vice responsive to variations of current, said device receiv ng current from the connection between said source and the rails. and a recording stylus movable transversely across said tape by said electromagnetic device.

5. In combination, a railway signal adapted to give a stop indication and a'proceed of the sign indication, a contact controlled thereby and closed or open according as the signal gives one of said indications or the other, a constantly moving record tape, an electromagnetic device controlled by said contact, and a stylus controlled by said electromagnetic 3 device for making a line on said tape or not according as the si mal gives one of said. indications or the other.

6. In combination, two successive sections of a railway track, a-signal governing traffic through the forward section, a record for recording the positions of said signal on said tape, and means ,for also making on said tapea continuous record of the position of a train in the rear section.

.7. In combination, two successive sections of a railway track, e si a1 governing traffic through the forwar section, a source of current connected with the rails of the rear.

tape, means for moving said tape, meansv section, a record tape, means for moving said tape, a stylus controlled by said-signal for making a line onsaid t pe or not according as the signal is in no position or another, an electromagnetic device responsive to variations of' current and, receiving current from the connection between said sourcexand the rails, and a stylus movable transversely'across said'tape ,by said clec tromagiietic device.

8. In combination, two successive sections of a railway traclg'atrack circuit for each section comprising a source of current and a' relay connected withthe rails of the section, a signal for each section controlled by the corresponding relay, a record tape, means for moving said tape, a stylus controlled by g the signal for the forward section for making a line on said tape or not according as the signal is in one position or another, an electromagnetic device responsive to variations of current and receiving current from the connection between said source oflcurrent and the rails of the rear section, and a stylus movable transversely across the tape by said electromagnetic device.

9. In combination. a' railway signal, timecontrolled means 'for receiv ng a record, means for registering thereon the indication thereon the speed and the approximate position of a train approaching the signal;

[10.-In combination, a railway signal, time controlled means located in the trackway for receiving a record, means for producing thereon a continuous record indicative of the position of the signal. and means for producing thereon a record indicative of the speed-"pf a train approaching the signal.

a], and means for registering 11. In combination, a railway signal. timemeans for producing thereon a record of the indication of the signal. and means for producing thereon in correlation to theaforecontrolligd means for receiving a record,

mentioned record a continuous record-mp entrance of the stretch, and the approximate proximately indicative of the progress of a speed of the train. 10 train approachingthesignal. I In testimon whereof I afiix my signature 12. In combination, a stretchof track, a in presence 0 two witnesses. 53signal guardin the entrance thereto, and r FRANK H. NICHOLSON.

means for pro ucing a continuous record Witnesses: "showing correlatively' the Signal indications, A. I'IERMAN WEGNER, the, approximate distance of atrain from the CORWIN C.. .WVHITE. 

